Federal Judge Tells FDA to Decide if Genetically Modified Foods are “Natural”

[The Straight Story]

Federal Judge Tells FDA to Decide if Genetically Modified Foods are “Natural”

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been asked by a federal judge to determine whether food manufacturers can label foods as “natural” even if they include genetically modified ingredients.

U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzales Rogers’ decision (pdf) to involve the FDA came in the lawsuit against Gruma Corp., which sells tortillas, guacamole and other products under the brand name Mission.

Lead plaintiff Elizabeth Cox sued the company in San Francisco, arguing that the defendant had no right to claim its products are “all natural” when they contain corn grown from bioengineered seeds.

Rogers wrote that the FDA has no rules “requiring that products containing [genetically-modified organisms] or bioengineered ingredients be labeled as such. The FDA has issued nonbinding industry guidance indicating that it ‘is not aware of any data or other information that would form a basis for concluding that the fact that a food or its ingredients was produced using bioengineering is a material fact that must be disclosed.’”

http://www.reddit.com/r/news/comments/1ihbbe/us_will_begin_exporting_its_fracked_gas/

[djean111]

1. Well, at least I have a heads up on Mission stuff!

Gee, what do you think the FDA is going to decide?
I am afraid that, with industry so influential in government, pretty soon no one will be required to disclose ingredients at all - didn't someone want to add artificial sweetener to milk without mentioning it on the label?

[KansDem]

2. Just label the food "Contains GMO ingredients" and be done with it!

Why is there even debate on this? I want to know what's in the food I eat, so label it accurately.

Food that's been genetically altered by humans is not "natural." It's "artificial."

ar·ti·fi·cial
/ˌärtəˈfiSHəl/
Adjective
Made or produced by human beings rather than occurring naturally, typically as a copy of something natural

I don't want some fucking corporation trying to redefine the English language so more consumers will buy its crappy products...

[dogknob]

5. Monsanto is protected by a private army that has changed their name at least twice recently

They could insist that cats are dogs and ruin the lives of anyone who publicly disagrees.

[Le Taz Hot]

3. Gee, hmmm, wonder what the outcome would POSSIBLY be?

"The Revolving Door: FDA and the Monsanto Company"

According to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), its responsibilities include “protecting the public health by assuring that foods are safe, wholesome, sanitary and properly labeled.” This responsibility entails regulating a large number of companies producing this nation’s food, making appointments to the high-level positions within the agency very important.

Most high-level FDA employees have a background in either medicine or law, but one of the largest private-sector sources is the Monsanto Company. Over the past decades, at least seven high-ranking employees in the FDA have an employment history with the Monsanto Company. Tweet Stat:

Connections have led many to speculate whether any conflicts of interest exist within this revolving door between the big food companies and the department charged with regulating them.

At the forefront of this controversy is Michael R. Taylor, currently the deputy commissioner of the Office of Foods. He was also the deputy commissioner for Policy within the FDA in the mid ’90s. However, between that position and his current FDA position, Mr. Taylor was employed by Monsanto as Vice President of Public Policy.

http://ivn.us/2013/02/11/the-revolving-door-fda-and-the-monsanto-company/

[Ruby the Liberal]

4. That would rule out pretty much everything but heirloom seeds.